shoegazing
Effects-focused dreamy rock
Shoegazing is a style of alternative rock from late 1980s Britain, characterized by layers of distorted guitars, ethereal vocals buried in the mix, and dense walls of sound.
The name comes from performers' tendency to stare downward at their effects pedals rather than engage the audience.
My Bloody Valentine pioneered the shoegazing sound.
The term often applies to the introspective, dreamy aesthetic beyond just the music.
Prolonged sound reflection
- feedbackReturned response data
- distortionTwisting from original state
- fuzzboxGuitar signal distorter
- overdriveEfficiency mode at speed
sustain · delay · chorus · flanger · phaser · tremolo · wah-wah · pedalboard
Influential shoegaze band
Delicate beyond earthly measure
- dreamyVague and pleasantly distracted
- hazyUnclear, indistinct
- wistfulSadly longing for something
- melancholicInclined toward reflective sorrow
introspective · hypnotic · meditative · otherworldly · nostalgic · bittersweet · longing · pensive
Stringed musical instruments
- vocalsSung musical parts
- textureSurface tactile quality
- blurLack of sharpness
- murmurSoft, indistinct continuous sound
wash · loudness · dense · layered · swirling · gauzy · murky · atmospheric
Produced outside majors
- alternativeAnother available choice
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- post-punkExperimental rock after '77
- ManchesterLarge English industrial city
British · 1990s · revival · blogosphere · fanzine
Sad or despondent
- introvertedTurned toward inner life
- staticWithout motion or change
- onstageBefore the audience
- performingExecuting an action
staring · pedals · unassuming · detached · absorbed
reverb
Prolonged sound reflection
- feedbackReturned response data
- distortionTwisting from original state
- fuzzboxGuitar signal distorter
overdrive · sustain · delay · chorus · flanger · phaser · tremolo · wah-wah · pedalboard · lo-fi
My Bloody Valentine
Influential shoegaze band
ethereal
Delicate beyond earthly measure
melancholic · introspective · hypnotic · meditative · otherworldly · nostalgic · bittersweet · longing · pensive · yearning
guitars
Stringed musical instruments
murmur · wash · loudness · dense · layered · swirling · gauzy · murky · atmospheric · enveloping
indie
Produced outside majors
- alternativeAnother available choice
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- post-punkExperimental rock after '77
Manchester · British · 1990s · revival · blogosphere · fanzine
downcast
Sad or despondent
- introvertedTurned toward inner life
- staticWithout motion or change
- onstageBefore the audience
performing · staring · pedals · unassuming · detached · absorbed
shoegazingshowmanship
Skill at impressive presentation
stagecraft · arena rock · glam rock · audience engagement · working the room
shoegazingpunk rock
Stripped-down aggressive rock genre
garage rock · thrash metal · hardcore · lo-fi · riot grrrl
shoes, gazed, gazing, gazes, shoemaker, stargazer, stargazing, horseshoes, overshoe